SHEFFIELD Tigers missed out on the Premier League title as they were brushed aside 69-23 by a brilliant Rye House side on Saturday - that's 111-74 on aggregate.

The Owlerton side were always likely to be up against it after taking a slender nine-point lead to Hertfordshire from the first leg 48-hours earlier.

Rye House had three riders unbeaten by a Sheffield rider and Tigers skipper Andre Compton was used as a tactical ride when it was simply too late and the tie had already drifted away.

There was hope early on when reserve James Cockle, who was woeful at Owlerton 48-hours earlier, made the start in heat 2 and beat Rockets reserves Adam Roynon and Luke Bowen.

But hope was extinguished with a long line of 5-1 maximum wins for the home side who were celebrating with a third of the match remaining.

Tigers fans were, however, proud of their team - and rightly so. This is a team that was ruled out of the play-off picture in August but then won two away meetings on the spin to put themselves back in contention.

Sheffield's season is now at an end with the next Owlerton action in March, 2008.

RYE HOUSE: Tommy Allen 14+1, Tai Woffinden 12+3, Stefan Ekberg 10+2, Steve Boxall 10+1, Chris Neath 9+1, Luke Bowen 7+3, Adam Roynon 7+2.
SHEFFIELD: Andre Compton 11, Joel Parsons 4, James Cockle 4, Ricky Ashworth 2, Ben Wilson 2, Paul Cooper 0, Jordan Frampton 0.